LEARNING DAILY

Luke 4:39; (Matthew 8:15; Mark 1:31), So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

I am trying to read more slowly and really examine different events in the life of Jesus while He walked this earth. The verse today relates to Jesus healing the mother-in-law of Peter. You should have noticed that this account is found in Matthew’s and Mark’s writing as well. It is a short account of Peter and His wife asking Jesus to come to their house and attend to her mother who was sick with a “high fever”. Some bible scholars believe this might have been malaria because of where the house was located; whatever caused the fever, it was a serious illness.

What I find interesting in this verse is Jesus healing her and she immediately got up and served Jesus, her family, and whoever else was there. Jesus “rebuked the fever” and she was healed instantly and completely. The instantaneous and complete healing is significant because it shows a true miracle. Remember the Jewish traditions regarding touching someone who was sick or unclean and even the tradition that Jewish leaders were not to touch a woman. Matthew writes that Jesus did both; Jesus was not really concerned about Jewish traditions.

“Immediately she arose and served them.” Wouldn’t someone healed of a serious disease take at least some time to recover? Not this woman. She got up and started to serve Jesus and other guests that were there. Yes, in the ancient culture hospitality was very important; once she was healed, she immediately got up and went about treating her guests according to this culture. This healing was clearly a miracle!

 I wonder if there was conversation left out of these written accounts. I wonder if the mother-in-law of Peter asked what she needed to do for them? Or did she get up and begin to attend to duties involved in hospitality? I am sure she must have expressed her gratitude for being healed.  All we know is Jesus healed her and she immediately got up and began to serve; we only know is what the Holy Spirit led the writers to include.

Do you remember what you did when the Lord Jesus responded to your admission of sin by taking away your sins? When that happened, you were spiritually healed. What did you think or do? Even more importantly, every Believer has something he/she can be doing to serve the Lord. Not everyone will be preachers/teachers of God’s Word. Paul writes in Romans 12, God has given every Believer gifts that he/she can use to serve the Lord. He writes, “to be diligent in serving the Lord” by giving [not only of our finances but our time], by leading [according to the leading of the Holy Spirit], by showing mercy and giving to those around us in need, by rejoicing in hope, being fervent in prayer and having a heart that is open to reach out and embrace others. Not all of these things will be seen by others – the Lord will see however. May He grant us the grace to live our Christian testimony in a way that is real and practical each day! When Believers truly follow Jesus, walking the narrow way with Him, it will be reflected in our daily life and profession. Never think what you do to serve the Lord is too small or insignificant in His kingdom.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”  “At the very center of the Christian commitment to Christ is the mercy He has demonstrated for the Believer. What God has done for the Believer is the basis for everything he/she does for Him.” (David Jeremiah).